The Ark, the Reed, and the Fire Cloud: The Amazing Tales of Max and Liz #1 (Jenny L. Cote)

The Ark, the Reed, and the Fire Cloud: The Amazing Tales of Max and Liz #1

2009 Winner of the Readers Favorite Award
When Max, a Scottish terrier, takes his usual morning trot to the loch one day, he hears a mysterious Voice humming in the reeds. “Come to Me,” it says, “follow the fire cloud.” He embarks on a strange journey from Scotland, meeting other animals along the way including Liz, a brilliant petite black cat from France. Max and Liz become the brave leaders for their group. The mysterious journey leads them across Europe to the Middle East, and is filled with danger, humor, trials, and triumphs. At the end of their travels, they find Noah and his family enduring ridicule from villagers while building an ark.

The moment these animals enter the ark is a spectacular one as the ark is magically transformed into the animals’ natural habitats. As they enter their stalls, ice forms on the walls for the polar bears, a desert climate emerges for the kangaroos, a rainforest develops for the monkeys, and a waterfall flows from a rock where the crocodiles and tropical birds dwell. During the year aboard the ark, Liz finds ways to keep the animals occupied, including daily exercise led by the flamingos and talent night where the animals entertain each other with their natural abilities. But a sinister plot develops. Someone is out to kill Noah and his family. Liz follows clues that lead her to discover a stowaway who has deceived them all. Max and Liz foil the plot, but at a high price. Filled with unexpected twists and turns, readers find themselves wavering between despair to hope.

The Amazing Tales of Max and Liz is a magical fiction series that takes Max and Liz through biblical to modern times, causing amazing things to happen behind the scenes in human history. Recommended for ages 8 to 12.